Type-writing machine.



A. 6. F. KUROWSKI. TYPE whnme MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1916.

m 9 1 QM 04 r p A W m a D1 ALFRED Gr. F. KUROWSKI, 0F BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOE T0 UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 191.

Application filed November 9, 1916. Serial No. 130,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALFRED G. F. KURow- SKI, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, but having taken out United States naturalization papers,residing in Brooklyn borough, in the county of Kings, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inType-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to line-spacing mechanism for typewritingmachines, and more particularly-to devices for rotating the platenthrough a fraction or part of a regular line-space, forwardly orrearwardly, to enable letters or figures, such as exponents orsubscripts, to be written above and below the printing linerespectively, and also to enable the writing of a numerator anddenominator of a fraction.

ll provide an improved and simplified de vice for this purposecomprising a lever, which controls a movable element engaging. with theusual line-space wheel to rotate the platen through a fractionalline-space.

The movable element is normally out of engagement with the ratchetwheel, and is moved into engagement therewith by a preliminary movementof the finger-piece or operating handle in either direction from itsnormal of the hen le causes the moving element to assist/in efiecting afractional line-space of the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

1n the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the typewriter carriage as seen from theleft, with the usual finger-Wheel removed, the platen bein in a normalline-space position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the typewriter,carriagelooking in the same direction as in Fig. 1, and shows the operatinghandle moved through a sufficient distance to move the moving element orpawl out of engagement with the detent plate and into engagement withthe line-space wheel.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, except that the handle has beengiven a further movement to efiect a fractional line-space of theplaten, so that exponents and the numerator of a fraction may be printedon the work-sheet.

Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. 3, except osition. A continued movementthat the platen has been rotated in the opposite direction, so thatsubscripts and the denominator of a fractionmay be printed on thework-sheet.

Fig. 5is a perspective view of the parts of the fractional line-spacemechanism before assembling.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of the typewriter carriage,partly in section, with the fractional line-space mechanism mountedthereon.

A. platen 9 on a shaft 10 is rotatively supported in a carriagecomprising end plates 11, there being only one shown in the drawings. Toeffect the line-space movements of the platen, there is provided theusual linespace handle 12 which, when actuated, moves a slide 13 havinga line-space pawl 14 pivoted thereon by a screw 15, against the tensionof a spring 16. The pawl 14 engages with a ratchet wheel 17 secured tothe platen axle 10 to rotate the platen 9. A springpressed detent 18cooperates with the linespace wheel to retain the platen in a linespaceposition. The slide bar 13 and linespace pawl 14 are protected by acover plate 19 secured 'to one of the end plates 11 by suitable screws20.-

The typewriting machine includes the usual type-bars 21 comprising types22, which, in the Underwood typewriter, swing upwardly and rearwardly,against the front face of the platen 9 through the usual ribbon (notshown), to print the characters 23 on a work-sheet 24, which is fedaround the platen by the feed rolls 25 and 26. As the typewritercarriage travels along, the types 22 print on the work-sheet 24: in asubstantially straight line, unless the line-space mechanism, inoludinthe pawl 14, is operated, or unless the p aten is rotated throughline-space distances by one or the other of its knobs 27, whicharesecured to the platen axle 10 by screws 28.

To print above the usual printing line, whichis desirable when printingexponents and the numerators of fractions, I have provided a fractionalline-space handle or fin ger-piece 30, which is swung rearwardly about ashouldered pivot screw 31, threaded into the cover plate 19, to move astud 32, by means of a cam formed by the cam slot 33, out of a notch 34,and into engagement with the teeth of the line-space wheel 17, asindicated in Fig. 2. The stud 32 projects from line with the notchplaten t both sides of the moving element (Figs. 5 and 6), and is movedfrom the Fig. 2 to the ig. 3 position, where its movement is arrested bya stop or support 36 riveted to the plate 19 and engaging in a slot 37formed in the floating element 35. When the fingerpiece 30 is moved fromthe position indicated in Fig. 2 to the position indicated in Fig. 3, itis effective with the stud 32 to rotate the platen through the angulardistance indicated at m, which is equal to a fraction of a line-space.If a type-bar is actuated while the platen is in this position, it willprint a character above the usual printin line, a distance equal to thearc subtende by the an le 00 at the platen surface.

To reta1n the stud 32 in engagement with the line-spacer'wheel, While itis assisting to rotate the platen, the stud moves under a curvature 38of the cover plate 19. During the return movement of the operatinghandle to normal position, the stud is brought in 34, Fig. 2, when thespring 39 becomes effective to assist in moving the stud 32 back intothe notch 34:, and also restore the handle 30 to its normal or centralposition, as indicated in Fig. 1.

To rint below the printing line, which is desirable when printingsubscripts or the denominator of a fraction, the fractional line-spacehandle 30 is moved to the Fig. 4 position. While being moved to thisposition, the handle is again first effective to move the stud 32 out ofthe notch 34 and into engagement with the line-space wheel, after which,a further movement of the operatin handle 30 is effective to rotate therough an angular distance indicated at z in Fig. 4. To return the-platento its normal line-space position, from the Fig. 4 position, thefinger-piece 30 is moved toward its central or normal. position untilthe stud 32 is again brought in line with the notch 34, when the spring39 again becomes efi'ective to assist in restormg the handle 30 and thefloating element 35 to their normal position and holds them there. Itshould be understood that the cam formed by the'cam slot 33 may beeffective only to move the stud 32 out of the notch 34 in the detentplate 19, and into engagement with the teeth of the line-space Wheel 17,as indicated in Fig. 2, where the stud has substantially reached the endof the cam slot. While the operating handle 30 is being moved from theFig. 2 to the Fig. 3 position, it has a pushing effect on the stud 32.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the coma stop to limit the bination with aplaten and a regular linespacing mechanism, comprising a linespacewheel, of a fractional line-space mechanism, comprising a notched detentplate, a finger-piece pivoted on said detent plate, said finger-piecehaving a cam slot therein, a movable element supported bycounter-clockwise direction, and a stop engaging with the other end ofsaid movable element to enable it to limit the rotative movement of saidplaten in either direction.

2. The combination with a platen having a ratchet wheel, of a platenframe havin a recess, a shiftable plate having at one en a toothnormally occupying said recess, a lever having an-inclined slot toreceive said tooth and movable to force said tooth into a notch of theratchet wheel and displace said ratchet wheel and platen, said platenframe having a guiding surface to retain said tooth in the notch of theratchet wheel, said shiftable plate having at the other end rotation ofthe platen, and a spring'to engage said shiftable plate to return thetooth into said recess and also to act upon said lever to retain it innormal position.

3. The combination with a platen having a ratchet wheel of a platenframe havin a recess, a shiftable plate having at one end a toothnormally occupying said recess, a lever having a V-slot to receive saidtooth and movable ineither direction to force said tooth into a notch ofthe ratchet wheel and displace said ratchet wheel and platen in eitherdirection, said platen frame having guiding surfaces to retain saidtooth in the notch of the ratchet wheel, said shiftable plate having atthe other end a closed slot comprising stops to limit the rotation ofthe platen in either direction, a fixed pin engaging said closed slot,and a spring to engage said shiftable late to return the tooth into saidrecess f iom either effective position, and also to act upon said leverto retain it in normal position.

ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI. Witnesses:

EDITH B. LIBBEY, CATHERINE A. N EWELL.

